Stelis odobenella Luer 1981 SECTION Humboldtia

TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer

Common Name The Walrus-Like Stelis [refers to the tusk-like stigmatic processes]

Flower Size .12" [3 mm]

Found in Morona-Santiago, Pastaza and Loja perovinces of Ecuador at elevations of 1270 to 2500 meters as a mini-miniature sized, caespitose, cool to cold growing epiphyte with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped by 2 to 3, thin, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical, subacute to obtuse, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the winter and summer on a suberect, from an annulus below the apex of the ramicual, flexible, flexuous, 2 to 2.4" [5 to 6 cm] long including the .8 to 1.2" [2 to 3 cm] long peduncle, successively 1 to 2, few flowered inflorescence with infundibular, acute, shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying purple bilabiate flowers.

"Similar to S opercularis but S odobenella is distinguished by the long, tusk-like processes of the stigmatic lobes. The lips demonstrate a close relationship with the tallcallus that occupies the dorsum bat an anterior pair of mammilliform callis distinguishes S odobenella and a pyramidal callus distinguishes S opercularis." Luer 2009

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Phytologia 49: 232 Luer 1981;

Orchidaceae Stelis Swartz Duque 2008 drawing fide;

Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXX Lepanthes of Jamaica Stelis of Ecuador Part IV Luer 2009

Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXX Lepanthes of Jamaica Stelis of Ecuador Part IV Luer 2009 drawing fide;

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